The Weekend Chef recently discovered that one among us has been keeping a delicious secret. One that none of us would have ever guessed. Until it revealed itself during the recent photoshoot of Dharm’s meal story.
As Dharm was flitting around the kitchen busily mixing this and sprinkling that, I bombarded him with cooking questions. To both our surprise, Jonathan Ng added his two-cents worth to each of Dharm’s replies. And the guy knew what he was talking about! After the fifth time, I couldn’t take it any longer and blurted, “Jon, you should contribute to The Weekend Chef.”
Jon’s response was lukewarm and non-committal. But before we could get over the surprise of discovering he could cook, Jon lobbed us another one. He would be cooking the next meal story.
We gathered in his house that warm Saturday afternoon and the man was elbow-deep in citrus chicken. The kitchen itself was impressively tidy, with every ingredient nestled in its own bowl and every spill wiped up as soon as it hit the counter. Jon is a very calm, methodical cook. Not once did we catch him scurrying across the kitchen or standing in the middle looking lost. He knew exactly what to do and when to do it.
By the time the evening wound down and our stomachs were happily hanging over our belts, we congratulated Jon on a successful debut into The Weekend Chef posse. And I daresay his mother was pretty pleased about her birthday gift!
What was the first dish you cooked and how did it turn out?
Like all guys, my first ever dish was an attempt at fried eggs. And like most guys, they ended up scrambled.
What are your must-haves in every dish and why?
Onions and garlic. They are extremely versatile; adding both flavour and texture to just about any dish (barring desserts of course). I am a sucker for onion soup and garlic bread.
Are you inspired by any chefs? Whom and why?
None in particular, actually. When it comes to food, I tend to focus on the food a lot more than the chef. If I really need to throw out some names, I guess it would be just about anyone who has a food show on Discovery Travel & Living. Most probably Anthony Bourdain with his rather sarcastic shows, Kieth Floyd with his ability to cook in all sort of weird places and Nigela Lawson for her simple recipes.
Your top three rules when cooking…
- Keep it simple. Do not get too ambitious with the dish and keeping it simple also makes it easier to clean up.
- No dish is perfect. It can always be improved, just do not get too ambitious.
- Colours. Food need not look bland. Colourful vegetables go a long way to making food look attractive.
What would you not touch with a ten-foot fork?
Tomatoes. I hate raw tomatoes. I think the only tomatoes I touch are those in pasta sauces. I also keep a healthy distance from brinjals.
Complete this sentence. When in doubt …
… give it a try anyway because you will never know what would happen unless you try. Besides if the food turns out bad, the Domino’s Pizza number is stuck on the refrigerator door.
Do you prefer cooking for yourself or for others?
Cooking for myself actually because that way I can get all sloppy on presentation.
What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in the kitchen and how did it turn out?
Black pepper chicken and foolishly forgetting that the sauce’s colour is not due to the black pepper. I think I redefined the term ‘over peppered’ with that attempt!
What’s your specialty?
None in particular, but I do make fruitcakes every Christmas.